Hello Beast!
by InMyMaster'sCloset
Summary: It's Halloween! And Armin hates it! It's just some ol' ridiculous holiday... What could possibly go wrong? Except his fight with Annie.Everything can when Eren is around! Especially when you let Annie and Mikasa cook together... What comes after is major headache for Armin. ONE SHOOT! M rated, just in case...


**Disclaimer:** I **do not** own Armin, Annie, or any other thing from Attack on Titan... I only own this crazy plot...

Hello guys! Here's another One Shoot from me, AruAnnie of course! And it's kinda... my contribute to the Halloween, since I never got the chance to... you know... celebrate it properly... so yeah... It's not like I was planing to write it or something! **But**! After horrific experience at my university...

Let's just say I was inspired! xD So... for those of you who read my story(ies?) **-And thank you for that, you epic people~!- **I came up with this! I hope you guys don't hate **gore/horror** motives? Though this is mostly **humor/romance. **Anyways,enjoy! it's long though...

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><p>~Hello Mr. Beast~<p>

Whoever said that Armin was workaholic was not far away from being wrong. Actually, it would be quite right. Armin did take the days off… Usually… Probably when it's some holiday… Or something like that. For example last year when it was Christmas Eve, he did come home three hours earlier! That does count… right?

Glare…

Glare…

Eyebrows furrowed even more…

He let out stressed sigh. Why can't she understand him? He does what he does for the sake of his family! So what if Halloween means not much to him? It's ridiculous anyway!

Glaring…

He glares back… He hates when they fight. And he hates it even more when it's some stupid reason like this!

"Fine!" Annie says and crosses her arms.

"Fine!" Armin yells back and grabs his briefcase as he forcefully stuffs papers inside.

"Do whatever you want I don't care…" he says.

"I will…" she snarls back.

"Good!"

"Yeah!"

"Fine!"

"Whatever…" Annie says and turns her backs on him.

"…"

"…"

"Ugh!" Arming lets out some deprecating sound and slams the doors shut. Very hard. So hard, that some stupid pigeons flew far away, probably to some other country.

He slammed the doors so hard, that his neighbor, a very pleasant-looking old lady fixed her glasses as she looked towards the sound of noise. Poor woman just went out to throw away garbage this morning, before the truck comes and empties trash cans.

"Armin, dear boy… Good morning."

"Yeah… Morning…" Armin left out the _good_ part on purpose. Old lady looked at the direction of his house curiously.

"I see you haven't placed the Halloween decorations yet? Are you going to buy it? Pumpkins are quite well sized for cutting, this year…"

"Well… You see, I really don't enjoy these things that much, so we're going to skip it this year… I'm sorry I'll be late for work." He waved away and hurried to the bus station. All the way he was grunting to his chin.

Annie was so damned stubborn! Especially when she wanted something, and this time she wanted him to help her with cutting the pumpkin, hanging some stupid witch-looking doll at the entrance doors, and he even had to climb to the roof and put some lamps up there! No freakin' way… not him!

And she even dared to threaten him that she'll call Berthold to help her! Even though she knew how much he hated… their connection. He hated it to the bottom of his soul!

Armin let out another stressed sigh. She wouldn't do that….Would she?

That scene instantly popped in his mind… Annie holds the pumpkin, she and Berthold laugh as they carve face on it.

"_This is Armin's face…" Annie says and she harshly stabs the pumpkin with knife, plunging it inside all the way to the hilt._

"Geez…" Armin quivers a bit at the thought. He enters his office and slams the doors shut angrily. Throwing himself into chair, he lifts his feet on the table and closes his eyes as he massages his temples.

Armin really loves his wife… Truly, madly, deeply! But there are times… times when Annie makes his head hurt like someone was beating him with hammer for hours! But even so, after every fight they have Armin always feels angry, not with Annie but himself.

What they argued over always were some small things. Must he always be such a jerk, making things complicated and difficult like this?

_She only asked you to hang some stupid decorations for fuck's sake… _

Why did they have to argue about that? Because he was stubborn just as much as she was. Annie wanted her Halloween this year, and she wanted it so much.

On the other side, Armin hated everything that was scary, spooky, gross or even ugly. Like that witch-doll she bought yesterday. For crying out loud! Armin slammed his head on the table, and loud, dull sound echoed through his office. He slowly lifted his head.

No, it was not the sound of his skull hitting the hard wood, but rather impatient knock on his doors. Person never waited for Armin's answer, which would be negative at the moment. Instead, his friend just proceeded inside.

"Hey!" Eren said, closing the doors slowly. He eyed Armin for couple of seconds.

"Who stepped on your foot so early in the morning?"

"No one!" Armin replied quickly as he looked away.

"Yeaaahh… riiiight. Never mind that! Look what I got for you! And before you decide to reject it, I'd like you to consider all the possibilities!" Eren said and brought out what was hidden behind his backs. It turned out to be some sort of a very ugly, crappy mask. It was green, and it was showing teeth, and Armin instantly decided that he hates it!

"The fuck is that?" Armin snarled through greeted teeth. His patience was starting to crack.

"A mask, dude! I'm sure you've seen stuff like these before, no?" Eren grinned widely and brought out another, same shitty thing in his other hand.

"And I have one for me too!" he proudly showed it to Armin.

"Looks like a person that had plastic surgeries which didn't go that well." Armin concluded.

"It's a titan! T-I-T-A-N! They're supposed to be ugly! I'm gonna scare some little, bitchy brats today!"

"Great deal Eren, you're going to get rid of all your frustrations… on children? Very mature…"

"Yes! And I'm going to have fun too!" Eren's smile widened from ear to ear.

"What was mine supposed to be?" Armin glanced at it with interest.

"Erm… some sort of a… Shrek to Hulk imitation?" Eren shrugged.

"Right… why do I have to get the crappy one?"

"Why are you complaining? The uglier the better! You'll get more sweets."

"You've gotta be kidding me…" Armin facepalmed.

"And we're going to the pub after work, to scare off some sexy waitresses." Eren winked at him and put his mask on.

"Grrrraahhh! I'm good, am I not?" Eren laughed under his mask and waved away. "Think about it, Armin… It's a good offer!" his friend said and went out. With his mask still on. Armin heard him growling somewhere in the hallway, and some girlish laughter and screams echoed in return. Armin stared at the doors in disbelief. Then his eyes shifted to the mask which Eren left at his desk.

Armin knew that he already reconsidered everything. And that things now made more sense when Eren put them like that. Also he'll make Annie happy to. Annie never had the chance to celebrate holidays before. She admitted that to him when she first met him. Her father was strict person, a doctor who spent every day to the last in his lab. He never had the time for Annie, nor did he ever let her enjoy sweeter side of the life.

After they got married, Armin promised himself that he'll make her feel the excitement of holiday celebrations, each and every one of them… and he failed, in every one of it.

He was always too busy, always working, always travelling somewhere, always being tired… always disappointing her and letting her down.

And now, Annie decided to be stubborn enough and celebrate Halloween properly. Armin knew that, just like he knew that she also wanted to help their daughter fit in and enjoy things like every other kid, things that Annie couldn't afford. But he was only ruining their enthusiasm with his foolish nagging.

_What an ass I am…_

He took the pile of papers and started going through numbers, but he just wasn't able to focus properly. Instead, he leaned in the chair and thought things through again.

Armin wasn't sure what happened with time passing by so quickly! When he looked at the wrist watch it was already time for going home. He waited for Eren to come and pick him up, but his friend never showed up. Armin figured that Mikasa must have called him to come home earlier and prepare for the party. Armin checked the time again. Then he looked at the mask.

It wouldn't hurt if he went home a bit earlier than usual, right? He would also surprise Annie. Maybe he might even help her finishing stuff, before kids start with their _trick or threat_ things. He decided to stop by to some store and buy sweets. Yeah, he might just do that.

After finishing shopping, Armin strolled down the street. He was, unwillingly but yes, he was enjoying all those silly and funny decorations around the neighborhood. Some were pretty much scary too, especially when you consider the fact that sun was almost setting, and that orange sunlight made silly ghosts look very spooky.

He reached their place and noticed that Annie really did carve pumpkins, but… they were all smashed.

_Jerks… I bet she put a lot of work into it! When I find out who did this, I'll… _

He fixed the hanging witch – more like stupid old hag but… who was he to judge- and she started to laugh-scream at him.

Buehehehehhehehheh sound came out of her as her eyes glowed with some fluorescent green light.

_The hell?! Since when are these things so interactive?_

She even shook from left to right maniacally, like she was on some sort of drugs. Armin smashed it against the doors until it finally stopped moving.

_People who make these should really consider their common sense._

Armin reached the door knob, noticing at the same time that something was wrong. It seemed as if the lock was broken… as if someone broke it to get in. Armin frowned and sudden feeling of anxiety hit his brain. He felt that something was wrong, and Armin realized that, for quite sometime now he was getting this feeling, only he didn't notice it until now.

But now he realized where it came from. Armin turned away, with his hand still griping the knob, and his eyes roamed over the street. It was empty. Not a single person was out. No one.

Armin's frown deepened.

He slowly pushed the doors as he proceeded inside. Armin entered the hallway. First thing he noticed was that no sound welcomed his arrival. Usually, TV would be turned on, or some music would reach his ears from the kitchen… sometimes he would hear Annie arguing with TV show which she was watching, or yelling at the lunch for not turning as she expected it to be.

It would always produce warmness in his chests.

But now, nothing…

Armin took out his cell and tried dialing her number. Somewhere from the inside, her phone replied with familiar melody. It meant that Annie was home… But where was she then? He reached their living room and noticed couple of things.

Table and chairs were rolled over; glass was all over the place, just like sweets on the floor. Curtains were ripped off, knife was lying near his right foot, and something was spilled all over the carpet. Something which seemed like liquid, and which seemed to be colored in red. Armin's heart stopped for a second. Before it started racing towards his throat.

_Annie… _

He ran out the living room, towards the stairs, and sight which reached his eyes paralyzed him at the spot.

Few stairs up towards the floor, he saw Annie's slipper, and on the wall next to it, he saw bloody handprints. As if person was desperately trying to reach the floor.

Handprints were smearing all over into a bloody, sinuous line; as if a painter used his brush to color it. Only this wasn't brush but fingers, and color definitely did not look like paint.

It leaked down the walls, and it still looked fresh, drops were falling on the wooden stairs, leaving sinister patterns.

It couldn't be… Annie? Armin's mind just did not want to accept this fact. There was no way that things went wrong… Not in his house, not his wife! And… what else was there was his daughter's room. Armin checked his watch. It was still not time for his little girl to be home just yet!

Unless…

"_Daddy, I'll be coming home earlier tomorrow! My friends and I are going to collect sweets… Trick or Treat!" she smiled at him proudly._

_Please…. Be out! Please…. Please… PLEASE!_

Armin ran upstairs.

"Annie!" he called out desperately. "Are you there?! Answer me!"

Muffled scream connected with his eardrum. It was barely hearable, but Armin succeeded in hearing it! He also heard something was smashed, and someone let out screeching laughter.

Reaching the final stair in hurry, Armin tripped over it and felt a stab in his ankle. Also, his face ended up glued onto carpet, literally. Because, when he looked up, Armin noticed that some sticky liquid soaked his face. Somewhat reluctantly, he licked his lips.

_Cranberry juice… his daughter's favorite. _

_No… don't… Universe, please, don't… _

He quickly got up, ignoring the pain in his right ankle, and ran towards her room. It was empty, and it looked like no one was inside.

As he went out, closing the doors slowly, he again heard same ominous laughter, this time louder. Person sounded very satisfied, and something broke again. It sounded like wood breaking, just behind the corner. Where his and Annie's bedroom was.

"Annie!" Armin tried to run but his foot refused to obey, and his eyes teared a bit.

_Crap…_

Holding onto the wall not to fall down, Armin greeted his teeth and stepped out from behind the corner.

He saw the doors of the bedroom swinging inside-out, as if someone pushed them harshly, just a moment before. Doors hit the wall inside the bedroom, bounced forward, then back again, in synchronized movements.

Alarm inside Armin's head was ringing loudly. He made few large steps even though his leg hurt like hell; Armin did not even feel the pain anymore. Different feeling was nesting in his mind… his heart…

_Fear… I'm scared… For her… for our baby girl…_

_Karma, don't punish me like this… _

_I know I don't deserve her… I know that I made her sad and disappointed, but we'll work things through!_

_I'll do anything to make her happy; I'll love her until the end of time, so… _

Armin reached the doors and grabbed the door handle, but it slipped his hand. He quickly looked at his palm and noticed that it was colored with red. And this time, it wasn't cranberry juice. And it leaked down the doors, all the way to the floor.

The stench of blood, metallic, pungent, burned his nostrils.

…_so… please, don't take her away…_

He pushed the doors harshly, and what was inside was finally visible to his eyes.

…_from me…_

Annie threw herself on the bed, over little girl, protecting her from what… or rather, from who was in front of them. And she was turning her backs on Armin, so he was not able to see who the attacker was.

Annie noticed that he entered, he knew that because her eyes widened with surprise, but even more with fear. Her eyes kept staring at him even when cold metal penetrated her head. Meat chopper sunk deep into her cranium, and blood soaked her face.

Her arms tightened around her daughter's small body, final will of her dying brain. Her blue, sky-like irises still stared at him, but now they were empty. They kept staring at him, and Armin saw how life abandoned them, before blood found its way in, and turned blue into red.

"Mommy…" muffled voice cried out, and she-attacker snickered, before she turned towards Armin.

Armin's brain processed every little detail he saw.

Annie's bloody hands… her wrist was broken because it completely turned purple. Her nails were also damaged, as if she scratched something harshly.

_Something like wall next to the stairs… _

Her face was beaten, her lip was cut.

_How could someone do this to you?_

There was wound on her backs, her white sweater had huge red circle on it.

_A monster…_

No wonder that there was so much blood downstairs.

_Annie was… she was… I couldn't save her… _

And woman who did all this to her, now stared at Armin coldly.

What Armin realized next shook him to the core. She was naked, but not only that… She had no, or better said, she had very limited amount of skin. Her whole body consisted, mainly, out of muscles. And her face… Orbital muscles surrounded her eyes. Muscles were stretching her lips into sinister grin, and yet her face seemed serious… It was frightening how cold and composed she looked. But, what froze Armin all the way to his bones was a fact that he knew her. He knew those eyes, the line of her nose, her chin, her blonde hair. Every little part of it, it was all just like… Annie's.

"Armin…" she says tauntingly, and it sounds so warm, so comforting. If only she didn't look so hideous.

"Who are you?" he asks, and he already knows the answers. She snickers as she swings around the wire with knife attacked to it.

"Both you and I know, that you already know the answer." She says simply, as if she can read his mind.

_It's impossible…_

"That's your greatest problem, Armin. You always think so rationally, you never consider impossible things to be possible."

"Shut up…" Armin says, and anger starts rising in his stomach. Also nausea too. She only smirks back at him.

"You can't be her…"

"Why not? Aren't you pleased? You finally found it out. Underneath that skin… this is what she was hiding!" Woman points at herself.

"Why you did this to Annie?!" Armin raises his voice.

"Such unpleasant feelings made me really angry, Armin… but I didn't kill myself, you did! It's all your fault." She moves towards him, and Armin steps back a bit. But she only proceeds.

"Tell me this is all joke!" he follows her glance and looks at his hands. He sees that he's holding meat chopper.

_No… WHAT!? NO!_

"You killed me, Armin.." she now says sorrowfully, as she still walks towards him. "You betrayed me… so many times! And now I'll have to kill you!" her lips widen into detrimental grimace.

"To hell with you!" Armin yells back at her and grips the handle of blade, just when she grip the knife in her hand too, as she rushes at him.

_You're not her! You're a monster, twisted, obnoxious fragment which was somewhere inside Annie long time ago._

_But Annie is not you! Annie is a good person!_

It seemed as if creature hesitated for a second before swinging blade towards his body. He swung his blade at her too.

_For me… Annie is most precious thing… like warmest sunray… like bluest, widest sea… like prettiest flower!_

Armin closes his eyes, thrusting the blade into soft tissue.

_For me, she's a good person! And she is beautiful!_

He rotates the handle a bit, sinking the blade deeper into the body, devastating the flesh.

_You're a monster… you should not exists, you can't replace Annie!_

He feels the pain when knife stabs his body, just as she hisses at him, before she lets out long, painful, heartbreaking cry.

_You destroyed Annie… and now I'm gonna pulverize you!_

Armin closes his eyes.

Then inhales sharply huge amount of air and opens his eyes with the speed of the light.

He feels pulsating pain under his ribs, where keyboard was pressing just a moment before.

_Wait… keyboard? _

Armin quickly roses up noticing he was at his office again. Or did he ever left? His fast breathing steadied and his burning heart slowly calmed down.

Wave of happiness filled his mind when he realized that just now he experienced his worst nightmare. Ever.

Armin let out deep, relieved sigh, as he stared at his hands which were still shaking a bit.

Not thinking a single thought more, he rushes out of the office, grabbing something from his desk as he passed by. On his way home, Armin stops only for a couple of moments to buy huge amount of sweets. He grips plastic bag in his arms tightly and starts running.

He enters his house rashly, with his heart pounding at his chests. TV announces loudly that there will be some horror movies later in the evening.

"Honey? Is that you? I bought your favorite cranberry juice, and I prepared your sweets…-" Annie yells from the kitchen before she walks in the hall and sees him.

"…A-a…Armin?" she's obviously surprised. But none of her reactions would be equal to Armin's, when he saw her standing there, with bunch of sweets in her hands, safe and sound.

Smile spreads across his face, innocent, childish, joyful smile which Annie hasn't seen on his face for a long time. He runs towards her and pulls her into tight embrace.

"What got into you?" she grunts into his chest.

"I'm just so happy to see you…" he whispers in her ear. Annie backs off a bit and just stares at his face.

"…"

"…"

"What's that thing on top of your head?" she asks with a smug smile.

"My Halloween mask, of course…" he returns her one cocky grin.

"It's awful…" Annie concludes with a chuckle.

"I know…" Armin says and he buries his nose into her neck, there where neck connects with collarbone. He inhales her smell and kisses her skin softly.

"A-ar… Armin!" Annie tries to resist the tickling sensation which excited her skin.

They both missed to notice clumsy, fast footsteps which roamed through the house.

"Mommy, mommy! Guess what! I'm going to put on my costume and…-"

Little, blonde girl stopped in front of them, and Armin froze. He suddenly felt very stupid, for some reason. It's not like he was doing something wrong,… Annie is his wife! He needed his dose of her too!

"Daddy? What are you doing to mommy?" Armin just stared at his daughter with a dumb look on his face, and his mouth was opening and closing.

"Erm… I… We just… the thing is…"

"Honey… You see…" Annie pushed him away a bit, and Armin felt very displeased. She allowed one short smirk to adorn her face before she became all serious again. Annie grabbed the mask which was on top of his head and placed it on his face.

"Daddy actually turned into monster! We have to run!" she runs away from him, takeing her daughter's hand quickly, and they both escape into the living room.

"Oh is that so?" Armin says with amusement, deciding that things suddenly became fun!

"Grrrraaaahhhhh! I'm coming in! I'm gonna find you, and eat you!" he enters his living room and looks around. He sees little had which peeked from under the table.

"Where could they be?" Armin pretends as if he hasn't seen a thing, and as if he hasn't heard his daughter laughing from under the table. "They really hid well… but I shall not give up!"

"…Found you, mommy…" he says as he leans over the couch. He sees Annie sitting behind it, with a glow in her eyes, and beautiful look on her face.

"Daddy, don't! Don't eat mommy!"

"Very well… I won't… But, in return, I want some sweets!"

Little girl pauses for a moment, considering what was more important to her – mommy, or sweets?

"I'll bring you some! But not my favorite…" she says and runs away in direction of kitchen. Armin laughs lightly as he looks after her. Annie gets up and leans onto couch.

"Hello there, Mr. Beast." She jumps over the back of couch, and straight into his arms.

"Why hello, my sweetest desert." Before he was able to do anything, he hears doorbell. Armin mentally curses whoever was standing in front of their house. Annie slaps his hands away.

"No, no… Go and open the doors."

"Ignore it! Must be some kids…-"but Annie already stood up. She picked up a witch hat that was on the table, and fixed her black coat.

_She really had to put on a witch costume._

"If you're a good boy… I might take this off." She says and pulls the collar a bit.

"Eeehhh? What's underneath?"

"You'd like to know that, wouldn't you… doorbell is ringing, Armin."

And so Armin drags his feet towards the entrance doors, with his mind still occupied with previous thoughts.

"Hello there pal! Trick or treat?" Eren yells at him as opens the doors, and Armin resists the urge to close them shut immediately, only because he saw Mikasa was here too.

"Skip that, Eren…" Armin sighs. He knows that there was no way he'll get his curiosity satisfied.

"No way, man! I want my chocolate!"

"Really?" when Armin was sure that Eren is not going to give up, he gives him one sweet.

"There, satisfied?"

"Che… nice one! Milky!" Eren smirks widely and load Armin's head with dust.

"Hey! Come on! I gave you a sweet!" Armin grunts at him, while Eren, not paying attention at all, simply enters his house.

"You hesitated!" he informs Armin and greets Annie.

"Leaonhardt… suits you well, that costume." He chuckles.

"Are you implying something, Jaeger?" Annie snarls back.

"Not a thing."

Mikasa greets Annie too.

Blink.

Blink.

Black eyes glare.

Blue eyes glare.

"I'm making some cake." Annie says.

"Do you need some help?" Mikasa politely asks.

"I could use extra pair of hands… I already finished pumpkin-pudding." Annie hints. They both enter the kitchen.

"Erm… this is not going to end well, is it?" Eren asks stunned Armin who was still trying to clean his hair.

"No… it definitely will not…"

After quite some time, a bit of yelling, pots smashing onto the floor, and a pudding-topping fight where Mikasa was covered with some sort of orange pudding and Annie with white cream, Armin and Eren decided that they should grab another round of beer. Their fifth by now.

"Hey, Eren…" Armin said and took a sip straight from the glass bottle.

"Yep?"

"Thanks, man… You're really the best."

"Cheers to that! "they tapped their bottles and drank again.

"That mask still is ugly as hell!" Armin says.

"It's magical… believe me!" Eren winks and closes his eyes. He was ready to fall asleep, for sure!

Soon after, Mikasa concluded same thing. But not until Armin and Eren finished every drink they had. Luckily, Eren was able to stand on his feet, though he needed some guidance. That's why he embraced Mikasa's waist tightly. They said goodbye to Armin, who was holding onto his doors feverishly, and walked away. Slowly.

Armin stared at their figures for couple of moments, before he burped and went inside.

"Really, Armin? Disgusting…" Annie stared at him with her arms crossed.

"Well… you wanted the… paa-artiehhh…" Annie just deprecated quietly.

"Say Annie… " Armin tripped over his other foot as she guided him into bedroom.

"Hmmm?"

"Will yah… show meh… now?"

"What?" she stared at him, only after she helped him to sit on the bed.

"The cos-stume… hic!" Annie's eyes shined for a moment. Or Armin was imagining things...

"Well…" she said as she started slowly unbuttoning the coat.

_One button…_

_Two buttons…_

_Three buttons…_

_Four… buttons?_

_Was there really that much buttons?_

_Where was he again, with counting… oh, yeah… fifth… button…_

Loud snoring was what made Annie to laugh her heart out. She sat next to her sleepy husband and kissed his forehead lightly; then she ran her fingers through his hair before she covered him and turned off the lights.

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><p>I reaaaally hope this wasn't too... strenuous, or boring? : And I reaaaally, reaaaaally hope you liked it! So, **tell me your thoughts**? Pretty please? And... Happy Halloweeen~! (sorry I'm kinda late...)

P.S. pumpkin-pudding... is that even legit? xD


End file.
